Safety device for elevators



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. H. STEAN & G. DYES. SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

No. 441,778. Patented De0. 2,'1890.

2 sheets -sheet 2.

(No Model.)

13.11. STEAN & G. DYES'. SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

' Patented Dec. 2, 1890.

1 awe/who? @1151? Mia (59 flttomx up UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN ll. STEnN AND GUSTAVE DYES, OF LIBERTY, MISSOURI.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,778, dated December 2, 1890.

Application filed January 25, 1890. Renewed October 27, 1890. Serial No. 369,494. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMINl-I. STEAN and GUSTAVE DYES, of Liberty, Clay county, Missouri, have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Safety Devices for Elevators or Hoisting-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a parthereof.

Our invention relates to improvements in ball-wedge brakes for elevators or hoistingmachines; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement hereinafter set forth and described, its object being to provide an absolute safety-brake for elevators 0r hoisting-machines, which will prevent the elevator or hoisting-machine from falling should the cable break, and at the same time one that may be operated from a hand-lever within the elevator or hoisting machine should the brake by which the elevator is 0perated get out of order and an absolute stoppage be required, the further operations of the device being to provide a brake which will make it practically impossible for the elevator or hoisting-machine to fall, thereby i11- suring the safety of passengers or freight of all kinds. \Ve accomplish these ends and purposes by employing the mechanism and parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central cross-section of the lower parts of the'elevator-car, setting forth our improved ball-brake attachments. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the operating device which throws the ball in position for catching said elevator-car. Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of the wedge or dog which drives the ball into position when said elevator-car is desired to be stopped quickly. Fig. t is a front View of the metallic castings, showing the operating cylindrical grooves (Z, in which are the balls d. the main beam or timber, showing the guide which operates in cylindrical groove formed in the metallic casting D, also showing the position of the converging cylindrical grooves (Z and the manner in which the brackets F are secured thereto. Fig. (5 is a broken-away sec.-

tional view showing the manner in which the brake-cables are secured to the main lifting- Fig.7 is a detail view of the handcable.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of lever, which is secured inside the elevatorcage, by which the device can be operated should the brake-rope get out of order or the elevator-car become unmanageable.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A represents our invention; B B, the posts or beams which support and guide the elevator-car, said beams having metallic linings C secured on their outer edges in the ordinary manner.

D is a casting, which is secured one on either side of the elevator-car, and operating against the timbers B by having the guide D operating in the rectangular groove in the ordinary manner. In said casting D are two converging cylindrical grooves, one on either side of the guide D, (more clearlyillustrated in Fig. 5,) in which operate the balls 61, said converging cylindrical grooves d being made in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4:

E are sleepers or joists on which the elevalor-floor eis laid. Rigidly fastened on the under side of said sleepers E are the metallic brackets F, properly secured and held in position by the lugs f, through which suitable bolts pass that secure the said timbers E. are the webs to said brackets, which come together at a central point and are rigidly bolted together, as illustrated in Fig. 1, said brackets F being secured to the timbers E and to the fastenings D in such a manner that they are rigid and form a bearing for the de vice hereinafter described.

G is a wedge or dog having one end beveled, as illustrated byg in Fig. 3. This wedge is secured in the lower part of the casting at the point where the converging cylindrical groove terminates. Said dog G is secured to the spring G bya pivot which passes through the perforations g, said pivot secu ring a link which fits in the slots g and is fastened to the plate g, which in turn is rigidly secured to the spring G.

His a device by which the spring G and dog G are operated, said device being composed of a rod II, made in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2, having a plate H", which operates in the space between the members of said rod 11. To the said plate II is rigidly secured the plates 7t and h, which form bearings or journals for the pulley I, said plates h and h being secured by the plates h". This is also more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

H, as shown in Fig. 1.

I are ropes passing from side springs G around pulley I, and then upward through the bottom of the elevator-car floor, extending through the top of the elevator-car, are secured to the lifting-cable m, as illustrated in Fig. 6,and should said rope or cable m break, the strain being released would cause said cable m to loosen its tension, and the spring G would thereby draw the cable I forward, and as it does so shove the wedge G into the cast ing D, thereby raising the ball d in such a manner that it would fall against the plate 0, which is secured on timber B, the contact with said plate causing it to pass upward in the converging cylindrical grooves 01, thereby firmly wedging the elevator when it has fallen only a few inches.

J are cables or ropes secured to the plate H" in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2. These ropes pass toward the center of the elevator, under the floor, over the pulleys j, and thence over pulleys j and pass through the elevator near the wall, where they are secured on the hand-lever O, which is fulcrurned at the point 0. Should the elevator get out of gear or become unmanageable, the operator can by raising the handle 0 release the spring G, which will force the wedge in and the ball upward, as before, thereby wedging the elevator.

K is a timber which passes across the top of the elevator-car, forming a frame-work to which the ceiling L is suspended. The said beam or timber K is secured to the shackle or rope M, in which is secured the cable m, said cable m being secured in any suitable method. The pulleys To serve to guide the cables I at the top of the elevator and prevent friction of the same by preventing them from rubbing against the timber K.

N is the shackle which secures the ends of the cable where they are fastened in the slides These shackles are composed of a rope made in the shape of a U, having a yoke N, which passes over the end and secured thereon by a suitable nut 11..

Having this safety-brake made in the manner illustrated and described, the elevatorcar can be stopped at any point almost'instantaneously should any part break or the elevator become unmanageable.

Should the lifting-cable M break, the tension being relaxed, the spring G would draw the ropes I downward, forcing the dog G into the casting D, and thereby forcing the ball upward, so that it'would. come in contact with the casing O and the timber B; or should the elevator-car become unmanageable the operator can put said brakes on by raising the handle 0 and allowing said spring G to draw the cable J forward, forcing the dog into the castings D, as shown and described.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as being new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a safety device for elevators, the spring G, plate g', wedge G, pivoted to said plate by a suitable bolt, the casting D, and the balls d, which play in said casting, substantially as described. 1

2. In a safety device for elevators, the coinbination of brackets F, the casting D, provided with the converging cylindrical groove d, the balls d, a bevel-faced wedge G, the spring G, and the cable I, secured to the hoisting-rope, said wedge and spring being pivotally connected, substantially as de scribed.

3. In a safety device for elevators, the guiderods H, plate I secured in said rods, journal boxes or bearings h h, to which said plate is rigidly bolted by nuts h", the pulley I, the

cable I, the spring G, the wedge G, the balls d, and the supporting boxes or casting D, in which said balls (1 play, substantially as described.

4. A safety device for elevators, comprising the cables I, the spring G, the wedge G, the balls d, a laterally-moving device H, the friction-pulley 7c, and the lifting-cable m, substantially as described.

5. A safety device for elevators having the casting D, provided with grooves d, the balls cl, working in said grooves, the wedge G, the spring G, pivotally connected'to the same, the laterally-moving device H, connected to said spring, cables J, the pulleys j and j, over which operate cables J, and the hand-lever O, by means of which cables J are operated, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN H. STEAN. GUSTAVE DYES.

Witnesses:

KEMP M. WOODS, Jiz, ADNA D. GERAR 

